Published author of YA and adult paranormal romance, horror, urban fantasy short stories, novellas and novels. On this site you'll find writing advice, information on my work, book reviews, author interviews and more…

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Book Review: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

Synopsis:

A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.

Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she’d never return.

With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.

Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath.

My Review:

I enjoyed The Girl on the Train; it was the epitome of the unreliable narrator and an incredibly twisty story that surprised me; so I was looking forward to Into the Water. When I read the description, I though, oooh this sounds good. But when I started reading it, I found the amount of point of views incredibly confusing. Maybe I just don’t have the attention span to keep up, but in my opinion, if its a book that’s too long to read in one sitting (which this is) that many POVS just leaves the reader frustrated that they can’t keep the story straight. I had to take notes to keep the events straight, which ultimately marred my reading enjoyment and kept bringing me out of the story.

From a writer’s perspective, I applaud the author for weaving an intricate tale that comes together in the end, but I do wonder how many readers will even get to that payoff point. Also, by continually skipping character POV it becomes increasingly difficult to have any empathy for the characters involved, and when it comes to any book (especially a thriller where bad things inevitably happen), the reader needs to feel for the character to go on that emotional journey with them. I did find myself not giving a fig about the arguably large cast of protagonists.

The front cover is good enough, although I’,m pretty sure that if it hadn’t had had ‘By the author of The Girl on Train’ on the front, it perhaps wouldn’t have attracted so much attention.

Overall, I’d give this book 3 out of 5 stars; As an author, I truly believe in pushing literary boundaries and challenging readers, but Into the Water was just a little too much for me.

Bad Blood – Battle of the Undead #1

“I am Britannia. I am your protector. I will fend off the hungry hordes of undead hands that reach toward you. I am your steadfast defender. I will stand between you and the zombie masses as they try to taste your flesh. I am strong, unyielding, and dedicated to your survival. All I ask from you… is your blood.”

Bad Blood Reviews

5 Stars: This book is freaking Awesome! I read it in like three hours! I couldn’t put the book down the action was mind blowing and the story was riveting! Amanda Masters Reviews

5 Stars: Now, the main reason I loved this book so much was the action. Every word describes action. Every page has action. I also really love the author’s selection of different species of the book and the contrast between the two: the vampires and the zombies. Girl in the Wood Reviews

4 Stars: Bad Blood brings an exciting new take on Vampires. I have to admit, vampire books have been boring me lately, but when you add zombies to the mix…. Loved it!! Genie (Goodreads)

5 Stars: I loved it.. Not really into a Zombie Book, but because it had Vampires I gave it a try and wow.. really a fast paced action book for a short read. Valerie (Goodreads)

Bad Timing – Battle of the Undead #2

Bad Timing - Battle of the Undead #2 out now!

Traitors’ Gate – Battle of the Undead #0.5 – FREE READ

About Nicky Peacock

My published books

Bad Blood – Battle of the Undead #1

So Long and Thanks for all the Brains – Available: http://www.amazon.co.uk/So-Long-Thanks-All-Brains-ebook/dp/B006T3L2CW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410436510&sr=8-1&keywords=so+long+and+thanks+for+all+the+brains